IllustrationWHILE DRIVING DRIVER'S SEATBACK COLLAPSED. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK DRIVER WAS LEFT IN A PRONG POSITION AND HAD TO FIND THE BRAKE PEDAL, CONSUMER WAS ADVISED BY DELAER THAT THIS IS NOT A DEFAULT.*JB
1992 Chevrolet Cavalier
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1992 Chevrolet Cavalier do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 140.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Cavalier years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 5 of 134 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 48 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
15 crash reports8 fire reports9 injury reports
Seats complaints
12 reportsDRIVER'S SEAT BACK BROKE IN REAR END COLLISION, SENDING DRIVER INTO BACK SEAT, PICTURES AVAILABLE
CONSUMER WAS SITTING IN THE PARKING LOT AND BUCKLING SEATBELT. DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT HINGE GAVE WAY AND SEAT BROKE. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALERSHIP. MECHANIC TOLD HIM THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TOO OLD.*AK
WINDSHIELD GETS FOGGY RESIDUE MAKES POOR VISION; SEAT LATCHES DON'T LATCH FIRST ADJUSTMENT; THEY LATCH WHILE DRIVING;
THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT REAR (SUPPORT PART) MOVES, CAUSING DISCOMFORT AND POSSIBLE INJURY IF AN ACCIDENT OCCURED. *YC
WHILE DRIVING, DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BROKE FROM THE FRAME FOR NO REASON. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DRIVERS SEAT CAME COMPLETELY LOOSE AND FELL IN THE BACK SEAT AREA, LUCKILY THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ON THE HIGHWAY, THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY POOR WELDING TO THE BODY OF THE SEAT, THE SEAT WAS WELED BACK TO ORIGINAL POS…
Read full complaint
WHILE DRIVING, DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BROKE FROM THE FRAME FOR NO REASON. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DRIVERS SEAT CAME COMPLETELY LOOSE AND FELL IN THE BACK SEAT AREA, LUCKILY THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ON THE HIGHWAY, THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY POOR WELDING TO THE BODY OF THE SEAT, THE SEAT WAS WELED BACK TO ORIGINAL POSITION. *SLC
STOPPED IN TRAFFIC, CONSTRUCTION WAS OCCURRING, STREET WAS DRY, ANOTHER CAR REARENDED CAVALIER, DRIVER'S SEAT TRACK SNAP, SEAT WENT FORWARD/TURNED SIDEWAYS. *AK THREE INJURIES OCCURRED IN THE ACCIDENT. *SLC
WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, DRIVER'S BACK REST CAME FORWARD WITH SHOULDER/LAP BELT; DRIVER'S CHEST HIT STEERING WHEEL. *AK
DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBACK RECLINER MECHANISM FAILED, SEAT BACK IS IN THE RECLINE POSITION AND WILL ADJUST BACK TO ORIGINAL POSITION. *AK
FRONT LEFT SEAT DRIVER SIDE BOLTS CAME LOOSE FROM THE FOUNDATION. TT
Official recalls
191V166000 · Latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch
Sep 23, 1991
THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH SPRING IS IMPROPERLY INSTALLED OR MISSING, LEADING TO A CONDITION WHERE THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH DOES NOT ENGAGE THE SECONDARY STRIKER.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH IS NOT ENGAGED, AND THEPRIMARY HOOD LATCH WAS ALSO NOT ENGAGED, THE HOOD COULD OPEN UNEXPECTEDLY. IFTHIS OCCURS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, THE HOOD MAY CONTACT THE WINDSHIELD,REDUCING THE FORWARD VISION AREA OF THE DRIVER AND A VEHICLE CRASH COULD OCCUR.
Remedy: INSPECT HOOD LATCH ASSEMBLIES AND, WHERE NECESSARY, INSTALL A NEW SECONDARY HOOD LATCH SPRING.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.